Bangladesh garment exports to EU fall 16.4% in H1

Bangladesh’s garment exports to the European Union fell 16.43 percent year-on-year to €8.64 billion in the first half of 2026, as the bloc’s overall apparel import market contracted, according to Eurostat data.

Mohiuddin Rubel, founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE), said an analysis of Eurostat data showed Bangladesh’s export volume declined 8.22 percent during January-June, while the average export price fell 8.94 percent.

The situation improved slightly in June, when Bangladesh’s garment exports to the EU rose 0.87 percent year-on-year to €1.37 billion. Export volume increased 6.53 percent that month, partly offsetting a 5.31 percent decline in the average export price.

Overall, the EU imported €41.10 billion worth of garments from countries around the world in the first half, down 9.70 percent from the same period last year.

Weak consumer demand and lower prices contributed to the decline, with import volume falling 6.40 percent and the average unit price dropping 3.53 percent.

Most major apparel suppliers also recorded declines. Exports from Türkiye fell 14.60 percent, followed by Pakistan at 12.53 percent, India 12.49 percent, Sri Lanka 11.21 percent, China 8.88 percent and Cambodia 8.84 percent.

Vietnam was the only major supplier to record growth, with exports rising 0.36 percent. Although its export volume fell 11.52 percent, a 13.43 percent rise in its average unit price helped offset the decline.

The data show Bangladesh’s exports contracted faster than the overall EU apparel import market in the first half of 2026, with both export volume and average prices declining significantly.

SKS